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Description
This brief examines the challenges and opportunities in linking high school, postsecondary, and workforce data in Illinois. Despite significant investments in education pathways, career programs, and dual credit initiatives, there is no central source of data showing whether Illinois high school graduates are enrolling in college, persisting through their programs, and securing quality employment. The brief explores why data linking is technically and structurally challenging, reviews existing efforts at state and national levels, and provides specific recommendations for improving data infrastructure. Using the STAMP (Scaling Transformative Advanced Manufacturing Pathways) program as a case study, the authors demonstrate how linked data is essential for evaluating program effectiveness and ensuring equitable outcomes. The brief calls for continued investment in multi-agency data matching, enhanced local capacity for data linking, improved data governance across state agencies, and sustained leadership through dedicated analytics roles. This work is critical for policymakers, researchers, school districts, and postsecondary institutions working to create clear pathways from education to economic opportunity for all Illinois students.
Publication Date
2-10-2026
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Keywords
Data linking, Education data systems, Workforce outcomes, Postsecondary transitions, High school to college, Illinois education, SLDS, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, Data governance, Career pathways, Educational equity, Employment outcomes, Data privacy, Interagency collaboration, Student tracking, Data infrastructure, Community colleges, STAMP program, Manufacturing pathways, Data quality, Educational research
Disciplines
Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Education Policy | Higher Education | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Secondary Education | Vocational Education
Recommended Citation
Boer, Benjamin, "Linking Illinois High School to College Data and Beyond" (2026). Reports, Analyses, and other Publications. 43.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/ctredsystems-reportspubs/43
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Department
Other
Sponsorship
Funded in part by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and The Chicago Community Trust
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Education Policy Commons, Higher Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons, Vocational Education Commons
